Bergeson Coasting to Victory : Lt. governor: She attributes victory to her anti-abortion stand and to opponent Seymour’s flip-flop on the issue

Buoyed by strong showings in Orange and San Diego counties, Sen. Marian Bergeson late Tuesday appeared headed for victory over crosstown rival Sen. John Seymour in the contest to see who will be the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor this November.

Bergeson (R-Newport Beach) credited her staunch anti-abortion position, along with a flip-flop by Seymour (R-Anaheim) on the emotional issue, with giving her the edge in the divisive race. But late Tuesday, she quickly moved to downplay the issue in light of being chosen as running mate to gubernatorial candidate U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson, who is an abortion rights advocate.

“Abortion is becoming exploited as a political issue,” Bergeson said. “We need to start stressing more important state issues such as transportation, health-care issues, education and the infrastructure of the state.”

Bergeson’s victory would assure a woman on each gubernatorial ticket. But she said Tuesday that she was unsure if the gender issue would matter.

Bergeson also said she intends to turn her immediate attention to the “uphill” task of raising more money for her general election campaign against popular Democratic incumbent Lt. Gov. Leo T. McCarthy. “To show you how important that is, I’m going to start tomorrow morning,” she said.

Legalized abortion was the main difference separating Bergeson and Seymour throughout their bitter primary campaign.

Bergeson, a Mormon, attacked Seymour for abandoning his anti-abortion stance last year after abortion rights activists pulled out a number of political upsets in California legislative races. She used this change to attack Seymour’s character and Tuesday appeared to have carved out winning edges among Republican voters in Orange, San Diego, Riverside, and Los Angeles counties.

Alluding to that tactic, McCarthy said he believed that Bergeson won because the voters “took Marian a little bit more seriously than John as to her conviction on the issues.”

He also predicted that the abortion issue would continue to play a role through the general election.

“Without Marian or myself ever saying a word about it, there’s no question that the issue of choice is a major concern to many California voters. I have no doubt that that will be one of the issues that define us,” he said.

But McCarthy, who will be running for his third term, expressed confidence that he would defeat Bergeson. He said she would not benefit from a Pete Wilson gubernatorial campaign.

“I don’t think Pete Wilson is going to have any coattails,” he said.

Seymour declined comment Tuesday, but said through his political consultant shortly before midnight that he would not concede the race because all votes had not been counted in Northern California, where he was prevailing in early returns over Bergeson.

Times staff writer David Reyes contributed to this story